TrainerTale: Determination Red and Purity Blue
by SA-ramblings
Summary: Frisk didn't expect to survive up in Snowbeak Mountains. Life was terrible. They just wanted to leave, leave where no one would find them. But they were saved and given the chance to start over in the Ebott region. Wait, wasn't that place a myth? (Readers vote 4 story-route! A/N has warnings. AU by Friisans on Tumblr! ! UPDATE: ETERNAL HAITUS, I'M SORRY !)
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

((A/N: Howdy! As you could tell by now, this is a crossover for Pokémon and Undertale!

Specifically, an AU called Trainertale by friisans on Tumblr! There isn't a plot or anything quite yet, so this is 99% headcanons (excluding MOST character designs, which can be found on the AU-owner's blog): locations, Pokémon teams, plot- EVERYTHING!

Some things will be different from AU-canon, just because I think it would fit better. Also canon-ship Alphyne exists, but the story isn't centered around them. Also judging by the T rating, possible swearing, mild violence, family abuse, etc. Quick FYI there. Please do not read if you are greatly affected by anything on the list.

These notes will normally be at the end of the chapters and have my thoughts and commentary, in addition to more detail on headcanons and further ideas.

Let's begin.

It's a beautiful day outside...))

* * *

It's a cold winter night in a tiny village near Snowbeak Mountains: powdery snow littering the ground, midnight sky foggy and devoid of stars, trees bare of leaves, all house lights dimmed, declaring its residents asleep.

Almost all of them.

A small shadow ducked just out of sight, not uttering a word. Shuffling of clumsy feet and creaking wood floors give away the location of a small child in the hallway of a family home, a sharp intake of breath at the noise and then silence fills the house.

Daring to make another move, the child -about 10-12 years of age- quickly stuffs a backpack with food, water, and clothes. The child themself looked terrible- barefoot, substantially underweight, eyes almost completely shut in a constant cringe.

Thoughts have taken over the child's mind during this escape plan, thoughts that should never have a need to enter a child's mind in the first place.

How they'll survive alone -led to the child bringing food and water-, how to protect themselves -they stole the switchblade their terrible father used on them yesterday-, how they'll get money -they snatched a handful of their mother's jewelry, she won't miss it, she spends all the money on that and not the family anyway-...

Their parents won't miss them, surely.

The small child grabbed a small water bottle out of caution, then picked up their unfortunately-heavy backpack and headed out the door.

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Snow crunching under their feet, the child walked. A strong gust of wind swirled around them, blurring their eyesight and clouding their shaky, exhaled breaths.

Occasionally, some Pokémon would appear in the child's line of sight -a hunting trip, possibly- and attack the child in hunger. In desperate attempts at distracting any and all attacking Pokémon, the child's supplies dwindled to a half-empty water bottle and an opened granola bar -still somewhat more than what they normally ate every day- in less than a few hours.

But they kept walking. Determined to move on, determined to leave their terrible life behind.

They shouldn't have been born to that couple- no one should have to live with that couple. They weren't even parents in the child's eyes; no, they were demons in human skin.

They deserve nothing.

At this point, the child was about to give up hope. Their walking pace slowed. Their breaths shallow. Eyesight blurred, they could barely feel their body.

They would die, die in a world that wouldn't remember them.

Exhausted and losing all the strength they had, they fell face-first into the snow.

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 _/Child...\_

 _/Child, wake up.\_

 _/You are strong. You cannot give up just yet...\_

 _/A new world is just within your reach. You are the future of humans and monsters...\_

A warped voice hummed in the child's mind, barely comprehensible under the deafening ringing. The child's conscious returned, but they could not move, the numbing sensation restraining their actions.

"Oh! You've fallen, haven't you? Mom, come here! This person needs our help!"

Through the soft voice that pieced the snowy gales, somehow, their will to keep living was rekindled.

The child stirred.

* * *

((A/N: I feed on tears. Do you have any to spare? No? Darn.

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon caught: 0

[FILE 1 SAVED.]

Gsv droo gl pvvk orermt urooh blf drgs wvgvinrmzgrlm.))


	2. Chapter 1: The Choice

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A bright light filtered through the child's eyelids as they groaned in annoyance. All they could do was shut their eyes tighter in the slight hope that it would dim the light- to no avail.

They managed to register what they were laying on: a plush sofa. The weight over their body: a blanket. They seem to be in the living room of a house, said room covered wall-to-wall with photos of a white-furred monster family. A wooden wall piano stood in the far corner, worn with use but cleanly polished. Judging from the lack of light outside, the child assumed they hadn't slept in the snow very long.

Already better than what they were living with for more than 10 years.

Soft footsteps tapped to where the child was, stopping in front of the other and luckily shielding them from the unrelenting light. Using this chance to open their eyes a bit, the child was able to make out a furry, white figure with long ears, a small grin growing with curiosity.

Wait, what?

"Howdy! You're awake! That's great!"

Wide-eyed, the child could only mouth words. There was nothing they could say. Nonetheless, the monster wanted to make conversation with their recovering guest.

"Uh... I forgot to ask earlier: what's your name? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

The child barely remembered their name. All they were referred to at their old "home" were swears and variants of "useless". They played with some thoughts before responding with whatever sounded like a name.

"...Frisk? That's a nice name. My name is Asriel. Me and Mom helped to nurse you back to health!"

A curt nod in response. Seems the human doesn't want to speak, letting the other continue with their explanation.

"...Mom also wanted to know how you even got that far up Snowbeak Mountains without a Pokémon. That place is home to a lot of strong Pokémon."

That brought up some thoughts. Many of the Pokémon they encountered around the mountain had been very strong and threatening; Frisk was mildly confused as to how they were even alive.

The mons- Asriel's family must have gone through a lot of trouble to help them recover. ...They didn't want to overstay their welcome-

"Hey if you want to, you can stay here until you feel better! Mom said you could!"

That was the cue to settle down. Hunched shoulders lowered and now visibly relieved, the child managed to utter "Water" in request, prompting Asriel to run off to the kitchen a few rooms away in Frisk's aid. Upon receiving the beverage, the child took a sip and sighed, fear of abandonment washing away. The next half hour was filled with constant chatter between Frisk and Asriel, like the two were long-lost friends catching up.

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"...You know? You remind me of a really good friend of mine, Chara! Both of you kinda have the same story... I hope you get to meet them someday!"

Asriel then left to give their new friend some time to recover and reorganize their thoughts. Both of them have the same story? Chara wanted to...

They would like to meet the other child.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym Badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 0

[FILE 1 SAVED.]

* * *

((A/N: I wanted to share a bit of Sinnoh lore with y'all: in one of the bookshelves in the library as "Sinnoh Folk Tale No. 3", it talks about how at some point there was no distinction between humans and Pokémon. I use this canon evidence to propose the theory that Undertale monsters are the meeting point of the two. Nice.

Since it's a folk tale, I had the Ebott region in an isolated area away from the canon Pokémon map, while still relevant to them. I like to think Ebott is near Kanto and Sinnoh. Which is why Frisk is surprised that the region even exists.

As you know by now, this is an Undertale crossover. With every decision having a different result. Every choice is a different pathway from the others. Where am I going with this? Wellllllllllllllllll...

[ ] (Stay with Toriel?) or [ ] (Go on a Pokémon journey?)

If I don't get enough responses, I'll choose myself. I know you don't want that, so send in your votes folks! You can vote in reviews, PMs, and even on my other sites (Tumblr, Deviantart, AO3, etc.)!

Gsv xslrxv rh blfih. R zn tlrmt gl ivtivg gsrh.))


	3. Chapter 2: Starter

A few days passed, and soon Frisk was up and walking again. The human was looking better in every way: matted hair now clean, malnourished body now full and happy. They eventually found their voice again, but preferred not to use it, resorting to hand motions and simple sign language that they picked up from the Dreemurr family's library.

They became well-educated in the lives of the monsters, thanks to Toriel- who knew she wanted to be a teacher?- and was fascinated by the concept of magic. They hoped they could learn it someday.

Multiple times has Frisk thought they were dead and in heaven, but Asriel's reassuring pokes and hugs brought them back to reality.

This new start was way too perfect.

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A full week passes, and Asriel questions Frisk's future. What they will do, where they will go... The human simply shrugged, while the other worried on. They weren't really concerned with what will happen next, so long as this safe haven was still in existence for them to come back to every day.

Suddenly, the little monster sits up from his seat on the couch, almost flipping the table they were playing cards on, an excited grin on his face.

"Oh, right! I forgot to tell you, but Mom is letting you take a Pokémon from the backyard! She said to only choose from the low-level ones, just to be safe."

After such a terrible experience, Frisk didn't ever believe they were going to love Pokémon, much less train their own. Maybe they'll only catch Pokémon if they were willing to be friends...

"I got a Skiddo earlier, and I named it Bolt because it always runs so fast! As soon as you get your starter Pokemon, meet me at the fields for a battle!"

The furry monster dashed off, leaving Frisk alone in the living room once again.

They supposed they might as well see what can be their starter; Pokémon are everywhere, after all, so their fear of them is somewhat irrational.

Even if their opinions of a few were less than pleasant, those few are only drops in the ocean.

Hopefully.

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.

Wandering over to the fields in curiosity, the child wondered what Pokémon would want to befriend them. A strong Pokémon would be nice, but one would never think of befriending them... Weaker Pokémon might need THEM for protection, and not the other way around...

Eventually, a small litter of Eevee made its way to Frisk, the latter quickly hoped they weren't the target of interest.

Sure enough, the child was engulfed in a flurry of fuzz. Looking past the ocean of brown fur, Frisk was barely able to make out a small creature cowering in fear in the bushes. As soon as the child began moving towards it, many of the rambunctious Pokémon made way, some of them diving into the underbrush to nudge out the shy Eevee from its hiding place.

"This one is significantly smaller than the others, despite them all being hatched at about the same time," Toriel explained, after seeing the situation unfold, stepped away from her flower garden nearby.

"Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to have gotten any more confident... She does have a Timid nature, after all. For now, the only one she trusts is me..." She motioned to pick up the Eevee, it resting in her pawed hands with a quiet sigh after mild hesitation.

"My child, would you like to hold her?"

Frisk glanced at Toriel, then the Eevee, then back at Toriel. Why would she offer such a thing? The Eevee won't even think twice about rejecting them!

"Ha ha, don't worry! I'm sure she will like you! Here, Frisk. Gently, now..."

Looking down at the Eevee in their hands, the child barely needed to imagine how it felt. Loneliness, trust issues- being unnerved by everything, really... For some reason, the Eevee wasn't afraid- at least, from what the child could tell.

Glad to see that the shy Pokémon was opening up to Frisk so easily, she found no reason not to let Eevee be Frisk's starter.

"What will you name her, my child?"

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 1

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: Now I hate the gender binary in Pokémon as much as the next fox, but for the sake of differentiating the characters a little more I'm adding those pronouns in. If I had my way, every PKMN would be genderless, but it would be super confusing to read. :T Sorry folks.

Some one asked me to use polls. I know I should really use them and all, but no one ACTUALLY answers them, so... Yeah that's my excuse lmaooo

And all those people that thought I was just gonna kick Frisk out of the Dreemurr house w/o Pokémon or fully healing: I really should've worded my question better, they were going to recover before they left, don't worry. ^w^ There wasn't much option to choose for this one, but options will hopefully become more story-changing in the future.

Speaking of which...

[ ] Name the Timid, female Eevee.

Just remember you can also support other people's choices! It will increase the chances of me choosing that! ^w^ (I'll give options too, I guess: Vee, Hope, Mia) I also think Frisk would choose ambiguous names because their name is too, so ambiguous names are awesome! :D

Gsv yvtrmmrmt lu z mvd uirvmwhsrk.))


	4. Chapter 3: The Beginning

"Arwen, was it? That is a wonderful nickname, my child."

Indeed it was. The small Eevee in the human's arms gave no signs of disapproval to their new owner's pet name for it, opting for a better napping position in the other's lap instead of worrying.

Suddenly, Frisk remembered.

They got up from the grass, careful not to disturb their new sleeping companion too much, and told Mom what they could recall from Asriel a little while ago.

"Asriel told you to meet him in the fields after you got a Pokémon? Well, you should not keep him waiting! He sounds very excited to battle you with his Skiddo, as well. You two remember to have fun, alright? Be careful!"

Frisk shuffled off in nervous excitement, suddenly halting when they were out of their adoptive mother's sight.

Asriel never did tell them where the fields were.

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.

.

"Howdy! You finally got here, Frisk! Sorry, I forgot to tell you where the fields were..." The goatlike monster shuffled sheepishly, tugging at his left ear out of habit under Frisk's annoyed expression. "But now that you're here, let's get-"

Frisk pointed down at their feet as the other followed their hand.

"Oh... Seems your Eevee is sleepy. Don't worry, I won't battle if it doesn't want to," Asriel offered, a burst of red light and his Skiddo was out and about its Pokéball. It scampered off with a bleat to graze on a patch of grass nearby.

The goatlike monster sighed in disappointment. "I really wanted to show off my Longevity Magic, too..."

Frisk furthered the topic, realizing this could be important information for the future.

"Yeah! We use it for a lot of stuff, like cooking, jobs, and even battles! ...Hm? Oh, there are a lot of types of Magic, but only the battle-based ones have cool names. Take mine, for example: I use Longevity Magic! ...You wanna know what that does? Well, uh... Basically, it lengthens the turns of a Pokemon's status. Cool, huh? If you practice long enough, you can learn Magic too! Some really good Magic users can even make their own spells!"

That piqued Frisk's interest. If it was really possible to use Magic to help them out in tough battles, that would really ensure their safety wherever they go! But were they even able to USE Magic was the question they asked their friend.

"Huh? Oh, everyone can use magic, but it all depends on your Soul if you can use it well. So those with really strong Souls have higher chances of creating their own Magic! I think you can use it if you tried hard enough!

"...Anyway, I'm going to get ready to go."

The goat monster picked up a green backpack that was cast aside during conversation, slinging a strap over his shoulder and turning his hat's visor to the front. Frisk looked at Asriel with curiosity and tilted their head to the side in wonder.

"...Where am I going? Well, I was gonna go become the Ebott region Champion! It's been my dream to get strong enough to beat the Elite Four, to be the ultimate Trainer... Now that I have Bolt at my side, I'm one step ahead to reaching that dream! ...A-and now that I have Mom's permission to go, too, heheh. Come on, come with me, Frisk! It'll be so much fun!"

Asriel holds out a furry paw in a hopeful gesture. The human, after weighing their options, decided that a journey across the Ebott region couldn't do too much harm and took the hand in almost resigned acceptance. The other, however, was barely able to contain their joy, hopping a bit with his ears fluffed up in excitement.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you Frisk! I promise this'll be so cool! I'll meet you at the next town! I'm pretty sure it's called Illusia Town... Yeah. I'll meet you there! Bye, Frisk!"

Frisk immediately dashed off in search of Toriel to officiate their journey as soon as Asriel was out of sight.

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Frisk managed to locate Toriel back in the flower garden, humming a tune that was somehow familiar. They decided to swallow down that feeling of...

Dread? What were they afraid of?

"My child, it seems you are bonding with your Pokémon very quickly! I am very proud of both of you. Frisk, if he has not told you already, it is Asriel's dream to become the Pokémon Champion of the Ebott region. I was not certain that was what you wish to achieve as well, and therefore I did not pick up a Badge Case for you. However, if you did want to do such, please take these."

A thin, slightly-rusted box was offered to the child's small hands, somewhat scratched but that just proved itself to be durable. Frisk could almost feel the love that was invested in the case as they turned it over to examine all of its sides, seeing every blunt corner and feeling every bit of scuffed up plastic.

From the looks of it, the box might have been older than they were.

"That, my child, is my badge case from when I began my journey as a Pokémon trainer. I have not used it for a long time, but it is still holding together very well for its age! Ha ha!"

Frisk also received a brown messenger bag that slung comfortably over their shoulder. Seems heavy with items already: spare clothes, empty pokéballs -to catch wild Pokémon with, they figured- basic healing items...

"And I thought you would need a new bag for carrying items you find and buy as well. I was worried that your old bag is too worn out to be used for much longer. I have put some fresh clothes and other necessities into the new bag, so do not worry about wearing the same sweater and shorts all the time!"

Frisk muttered an embarrassed "thank you" underneath their gifts, unsure what emotions to have. Their adoptive mother must have planned for them to leave like this, which the human left to -real- mother's instinct. Not only has this sort of experience never showed itself in the child's life prior to meeting the Dreemurrs, the emotions were not what they expected either. Was that sorrow? Guilt? Frisk couldn't tell. They just hoped they would see her again.

Regardless of what they felt, they were now ready to leave. With a quick farewell, Toriel saw her third child leave home on an adventure.

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.

While strolling through the first route of their Pokémon journey, Frisk saw a glint of light blue out of the corner of their eye on the ground. Overcome with curiosity...

[Frisk found a Faded Ribbon.]

The child wondered what it could be used for. Perhaps a held item? It looked pretty, despite the wear-and-tear, and they made a mental note to give it to Arwen when they got the chance.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym Badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 1

[FILE 1 SAVED.]

* * *

((A/N: Whoo-ee that was something. I'm finally getting the hang of this. Frisk's starting place for their journey is called Puroffsin Village by the way, but I hadn't got the chance to say so before they left. I thought up every single location name in the region as well, so none of that is AU-canon. And I love all of them so figHT ME ON IT BRO-

Also, congratulations to "oochya", "Miner-Wars", and others for voting the name! You won! I know there are several other names, so I'll just be hoarding them until the next round! :D So don't worry if your name wasn't chosen!

And the guest that wanted the Eevee's nickname to be Chara... Well... You're in for a time. Check out "friisans" on Tumblr for the deets and more worldbuilding (with a character role change or two but everything else should be AU-canon)! What'll happen next? Why was Frisk so afraid of Toriel's song? So. Many. QUESTIONS!

But the real question is...

[ ] Where should the Faded Ribbon be worn on Arwen?

This is also a long-ass A/N, sorry about that. I had a lot to say this time.

Hlnv gsrmth hslfow mvevi yv jfvhgrlmvw. Gsv zmhdvih ziv yvggvi ovug fmpmldm fmgro gsv grnv rh irtsg.))


	5. Chapter 4: First Gym?

Only Route 1 and a few Pokémon trainers stood in the way of Frisk and their arrival to Illusia Town. The human tried to avoid tussles as much as possible, but seems the opposing Trainers are very eager to battle anyone that comes within their line of sight.

After stumbling into a few trainers with Eevee that look surprisingly similar to their own, Frisk decided to give Arwen the Faded Ribbon, tying it around her left ear in a small, blue bow.

They quietly hoped that there would be enough accessories for their Pokémon; telling them apart from other Pokémon was going to be a challenge otherwise.

It was only after the bow was fastened to Arwen that Frisk realized:

They didn't have any other Pokémon.

They didn't now how to catch one either.

Fortunately, it only took a few minutes of searching inside their messenger bag like a fool to retrieve the Pokégear- which they resolved to putting on their person and not tossing back into the bag- and give Asriel a ring.

The Pokégear Frisk had was a red, box-like device that functioned as a cell phone and a portable Town Map, according to Toriel who described it prior to the human's journey. There were supposedly apps that could enhance the Pokégear experience, but Frisk figured the extensions were unnecessary.

But the apps still seemed interesting. They might try a few in the future.

/Ring... Ring.../

 _/"Hello? Who is this?"/_

 _/"Oh, it's you, Frisk! Howdy! How have you been?"/_

 _/"..."/_

 _/"... O-oh... I guess I forgot to tell you how to catch Pokémon, huh? Hehe, sorry..."/_

 _/"Um, basically all you have to do is walk into the tall grass -that's where you can find wild Pokémon. I think you can also find them in trees and other stuff, but anyway- and... Then you send your Pokémon out against it to weaken it a little! O-oh, but don't let them faint before you catch them! T-that's bad manners! Then you throw a Pokéball at it, and if the button clicks red, then you catch it!"/_

 _/"Sorry I had to make the explanation short, but my Pokégear's running out of battery life. I'll talk to you later! Meet you at the front of Illusia Town's Gym! Bye Frisk!"/_

/Click.../

Frisk shut the Pokégear off, stashing it away in the pocket of their shorts. The explanation they received from their friend didn't seem to invoke friendship, so they resolved that any Pokémon they would obtain was through mutual respect. Just like how they got Arwen.

They didn't want their Pokémon to be mean to anyone, so that seemed like the best option. Soon enough after their musing, they searched for a landmark or something to guide themselves with.

Buildings brightly reflected the late-morning sunlight.

Right into Frisk's eyes.

Perfect.

Something tells them that Illusia Town was right around the corner, prompting the child to walk in that direction, glad that the buildings in the distance were tall enough to see from where they were.

Despite their hatred for the sun at the exact same time.

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"you've GOAT to be kidding me. i might be a gym leader, but i've got things to do. i can't battle you for a little while. another time, alright?"

"Aww..."

Frisk barely needed to imagine what the conversation prior to their arrival was. Unfortunately, that didn't make the situation any better. It seems the Gym Leader was out of commission for the time being.

"Why can't you battle yet, Mr.-... Uh..."

"it's just sans. and to be blunt, my pokémon team right now is WAY outta your league. i was getting some training done for-... i'll get my other team and meet you guys in the gym."

And just like that the skeleton disappears behind the heavy-sounding door to the Gym. Frisk wonders how someone would want a door like that.

They supposed it would have been nice at their former home- no, never think of that place again. You are in a much better world now, leave the past behind...

"So... I guess we have some time to kill! Let's go to the Pokémon Center!"

Asriel took Frisk's hand and tugged the other in the direction of said building before Frisk could even utter a word in response.

.

.

.

The Pokémon Center was a large building in the center of town, clearly able to be found with its bright red roofing, resembling a Pokéball in color scheme. On the inside, some kind of music was heard through the speakers attached high above the two, with some visitors waiting for their Pokémon's checkups in plush chairs and tables to the left of the entrance. A catlike monster in a nurse's outfit with a goofy face sat at the back counter, vibrating softly with... Stress? Excitement?

It was a bit hard to tell.

"HOi! i'm temmie! i heals u Pokies uP qUickies! yaYA!" the nurse said excitedly upon seeing Frisk and Asriel enter the building.

This nurse made Frisk wonder how they can almost hear the random capitalizations.

"tem fiX ALL problem wif Pokies! tem fix jusT sEconDS! yaYA! put poKIes in tray!" The nurse set out two trays with six round imprints in each. Asriel shuffled through their backpack and retrieved two Pokéballs -he must have caught a few on this way here, Frisk assumed-, and set them into the imprints, with Frisk quickly following suit with their Eevee's Pokéball.

"tEM hElps! tEM be RIGHT BACKS!" Temmie stepped down from her seat at the counter to go behind the double-doors, an Audino with a nurse's uniform picking up the trays and following her.

Asriel tapped over to the waiting area and sat down in an unoccupied chair with a quiet huff. The human child wandered over and seated themselves on the sofa across from him.

"Just think: we'll both be able to challenge the Gym Leader, and I'll be on my way to being a Pokémon master! I think you'd make a good trainer too, Frisk!" Asriel thought out loud, a dreamy look in his eyes.

He continued, "Maybe you'll meet me up at the tippity-top of the Pokémon League! Ooh, that sounds really cool to have a battle up there...

"...I know we can make it. If we have hope and determination, we'll get there someday."

"tEM duN Wiff PokiES!"

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym Badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 1

[FILE 1 SAVED.]

* * *

((A/N: Holy hell Temmie what the fu-

Howdy kiddos! It's me again! I would like to say, thank you so much for the support on TrainerTale! I really appreciate all the feedback, and I hope I'm meeting all your standards! :D

Let's just assume Azzy knew where to find the Pokémon Center. And the Gym. It makes it a lot easier to write.

I actually want to take this time to mention that **postpacfist-undertale** on Tumblr (this story's and "The Fruits of Frisk's Labor"'s blog) has been answering and replying to several of your guys' reviews and comments! I also have been reblogging some neat ideas from friisans (the creator of this AU) and keeping more-or-less updated on the story over there, so please be sure to check it out and follow-!

The most recent Author Response is on "midnathething"'s review for "Chapter 4: The Beginning"! I talk about worldbuilding and more detail on how magic is used, as well as a throwback to an earlier response about why my chapters were so short in the beginning.

After you've sated your hunger for the GREAT S.K.'S- erhem- my story, please be sure to smash thAT MF LIKE BUTTON- sorry, memes.

Have a good day, and remember to kEEP IT SHA-

Dammit. Just. Bye.

Zm zmlnzob urmwh rgh dzb rmgl z kviuvxg dliow, z kfiv dliow. Mld z wzip xolfw ivhgh levi gsv sliralm...))


	6. Chapter 5: sans

It was not what Frisk expected.

It was a Gym, so there was supposed to be gym equipment, right?

But it looked like a large house.

A large, dim house with black spikes of ice covering the ceiling and part of the floor creating a maze of obsidian shards, being offered a candlelight as soon as they stepped in through the door, a haunting atmosphere and the feeling of being watched...

"The Gym Leader sure has a sense of style," Frisk recalled Asriel pointing out. That's right, he went through the whole Gym already, but the Leader wasn't ready to battle yet. "He said he didn't really care for the décor, but his brother, Papyrus, insisted on it. Hopefully it's not too scary for you! It took me a while to get through!"

It was like a haunted house.

Not having any experience with the sort besides vague descriptions that they heard from passing conversations, they had no idea where to start.

Basic rumors would be a good place for getting an idea of what might happen. Best to be prepared, right?

One. The floor could have holes to fall through. Frisk tiptoed delicately through the halls.

Two. There could be things popping up everywhere. All the child could do was pray nothing would jumpscare them.

Three- oh, they were already at the end. The path was a lot more straightforward than expected. Maybe the leader wasn't too much of a fan of puzzles, or maybe they were just lazy.

The GYM LEADER stood at the top of the short stairway with a nonchalant grin plastered on his(?) face. Upon closer inspection, he wore several off-brands of clothing Frisk almost recognized: the hooded jacket, beanie, and even loosely-tied sneakers.

"alright, kid, let's cut to the chase. i'm the GYM LEADER of illusia town, he/him, but you can call me sans. i'll set you up with some rules, since it looks like this is your first challenge. all GYMS have a little twist to them, but the main rules go like this:

"you can only battle with the same number of pokémon as the LEADER, so there won't be any outnumbering. it also makes it easier to play-by-play, but don't tell anyone i said that- wait, you only have your starter? hhhhh... guess we'll just battle later when you get another one. don't wanna be unfair, right? i mean, you can battle with only one pokémon, but it's not a great idea. too much stress, and that's not what i'm about."

"anyway, you can re-challenge any of the GYMs you lost when the LEADERs are available. out of courtesy for their time, try to challenge them sparingly. being a LEADER is a busy job, yanno."

There was just something about Sans that made Frisk yawn. Not in boredom, but just the way he spoke and dressed made the child just want to crash on the nearest couch. The GYM LEADER must have realized that was the case and wrapped up his explanation, making a mental note to get his brother to explain it again later. Surely Papyrus will keep Trainers awake, yeah?

"...now this is just a fair warning. all these GYMs get more difficult as you challenge and defeat them, and every GYM either specializes in pokémon types or revolves around a theme. you'll see what i mean when you catch one more pokémon, alright? cool."

"uh, hey, you didn't get a proper tour of the town, didja?" And with that, Sans turned to a doorframe in the wall that Frisk didn't remember seeing when they first got there and-

"come on. i know a shortcut."

.

.

.

"so you've seen the pokémon center, right? yeah?" Frisk nodded.

"...so anyway, i've gotta tell you. monsters around here don't see humans all that much- or at least, not anymore. not that they'd accept beings like us, anyhow. we don't really care about it anymore, but the occasional kid or two somehow makes their way over here-for whatever reason. i think the first kid is still wandering around ebott somewhere, but haven't seen them since tori said they went missing a couple years ago-"

Frisk looked up from their half-full lemonade can that Sans bought for them, muttering a few questions with a confused expression. They walked a few minutes in silence before the skeleton responded.

"yeah, well, just because you're the first human to come in a while doesn't mean you're the ONLY one. i think the first kid... well, it's nothing to talk about. let's drop the subject."

The two walked a bit more in silence, then Sans perks up with his classic grin back on his face.

"whelp, that was a long break. can't believe you pulled me away from work for that long. we should do this again sometime."

And with that, he walked away. Frisk didn't think they would be able to get to the other side of town with that conversation alone, but the town was rather on the small side.

The GYM challenge just will have to wait, they supposed. Maybe they could catch a Pokémon on the next route?

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 1

[FILE 1 SAVED.]

* * *

((A/N: Just some insight on GYMs this chapter! If there is one thing about the Pokémon anime I like, it's that there is a limit on how many Pokémon you can throw on the field per GYM battle. Also themes. Themes will be fun to mess with.

As you know, I seemed to have been a little hasty with the pacing. If you guys want, I can slow it down some, but the updates will feel a little boring until after the Elite Four. I wasn't sure if you guys wanted to read Frisk going through the motions

That and I forgot that Frisk only had their starter and they absolutely refuse to catch anything unless it consents so... Prepare for a very small team there Frisk lmao

So... About that whole "rivals for Frisk" thing... There's only one so far, right?

You wouldn't mind if...

I added one more?

[ ] Yes [ ] No

Rg'h zoo rm tllw ufm. Fmgro rg rhm'g.))


	7. Chapter 6: New Friend

((A/N: If you are reading this, then the intermission should be replaced by now. Thank you to everyone who voted! The result is that this will drag on for however long this'll go, so... Through all the GYMS and little things until Elite Four Fun Time(tm)! Hooray! :D

If you don't want to read through all this hell in the future, message me somehow on one of my many web accounts and I'll let you know when the "boring bits" are over so you can come back and enjoy the fun! (Please put "TrainerTale skip me" in the subject bar if there is one.) ^w^ Sound good? You'd probably miss a lot of worldbuilding but I'll let you know anyway!

Alright, let's continue onward!))

* * *

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Skipping the Illusia GYM for the time being, Frisk continued on their way to Route 3, with Route 2 blocked off for reasons the child didn't care much for.

Route 3 had... for lack of better words, a literally-trash landscape- if the plastic bottles, torn newspapers, and other variants of garbage littering the grounds meant anything. While the plant life seemed to grow decently well despite the conditions, Pokémon were hardly seen- and Frisk was actively searching.

The route's animal life was practically nonexistent.

After somehow not encountering anything in the grass or trees, Frisk reached the end of Route 3 and went to heal up at Snowdin Town's Pokémon Center to get away from the sudden cold spell before they returned to the route.

Tempted by the idea of trespassing over the blocked off area, the child almost turned a blind eye on a small grey figure caught in barbed wire. The creature -no, Pokémon; it was a Pokémon- weakly mewed in pain as Frisk quickly dug into their backpack for something, anything that could cut through the Pokémon's ensnarement.

Then they found it.

The switchblade from their old home.

Mo- Toriel must have let Frisk keep the weapon, despite its dangerous connotations. No matter how many dark memories it held, it was going to be used for good now.

Carefully scraping at the barbed wire until it was weak enough to be torn away, Frisk muttered words of encouragement and comfort to the grey creature as they stopped for a moment to wonder what it was, immediately pushing their thoughts aside.

Frisk's dread-stricken mind didn't care what the thing was.

They just knew it needed help.

After freeing the Pokémon from its ensnarement, Frisk discovered just exactly how terrible the creature's condition was- scratches that never got a chance to heal, bruises, and matted fur not helping its case. It looked to have put up a fight before tumbling into the barbed wire, and Frisk was devastated at its physical state. They pulled out several items before they realized something horrifying:

They had no healing items.

Thinking quickly, they picked up the creature and ran, not stopping until they reached the front desk of the Pokémon Center.

"Nurse Temmie! This Pokémon needs help!" they shakily cried out, with said Pokémon slowly losing consciousness...

.

.

.

Frisk was too engulfed with anxiousness to notice a familiar furry friend tap their right shoulder- multiple times. Snapping out of their trance with a light tap to the nose, Frisk turned their head to see Asriel's softly smiling face on their shoulder.

"Howdy, Frisk. Is everything alright? "

They explained the events up to that point, holding back tears.

"...I see.

"Are you going to challenge Sans after, this... then?"

Frisk nodded, nervous and concerned for their first official challenge in the Pokémon League. They made a mental note to train up their Pokémon a bit more so they could stand a chance at the GYM, looking back to the rescued Pokémon's recovery.

It was a bit of a surprise that Asriel was still in the area, as it was apparent that he was more experienced with Pokémon training and would have gotten farther by now. He had stopped by once more after a brief training period, so he claimed while finishing a bag of Popato Chisps in his nightgown.

"Awesome! The badge looks really cool, but I'm not gonna show you it..." Asriel held a pawed finger up in a shushing motion, giggling at Frisk's pout. "It's a surprise, silly!"

"But, uh... Is Espurr okay?"

Frisk turned to Asriel with a confused look.

"That's what it's called, isn't it? Did you look up its Pokédex entry in the Pokégear yet? It's also known as the Restraint Pokémon because it apparently has a lot of magical energy stored in their ears."

Frisk read through the Pokégear's data entry for Espurr while their friend continued to add his commentary on the weak creature's state.

"Looks like this one used up a lot of that energy trying to escape, but then wire was too strong for it... Sure looks like it put up a fight before you found it. Hope it's okay..."

The two continued to observe the wounded Pokémon's recovery.

.

.

.

"tEM doEs GUDS! eSpur hEalth is dA GUDS! yaYA! PoKies is TUFF! v... STRONG!"

Frisk jumped up from their seat on the couch in the waiting room, eager to see the rescued Pokémon. Quickly making their way towards the front desk, Frisk could see Espurr happy, healthy, and content, and...

"F-Frisk?! Are you okay?! Don't cry, everything is fine now!"

.

.

.

"tEM doEs chEcKUPs?"

"Yes, please, Nurse Temmie!" Asriel responded happily, with Frisk nodding in agreement, still grateful for the Nurse's hospitality.

As soon as Temmie scampered off for the checkups -forgetting the pokéballs like the other nurse in Illusia town, to which her Audino sighed softly before following suit-, a mewling sound was heard near Frisk's feet. They looked down to see their rescued client looking well, continuing to voice an opinion Frisk could not understand.

"Hey, it's the Espurr you saved, Frisk! It must be saying thank you!" Asriel commented. Frisk crouched down to meet the Pokémon's eye-level, looking at the small form make a curt nod- as if it knew what the monster child said. The human took out an empty Pokéball and gently tapped the Espurr's head with the capsule's button, a bright red light emitting with the capture process.

As soon as Frisk removed their arm from their eyes, they saw that their empty Pokéball shook once, twice, click!

"You caught it, Frisk! you caught your first Pokémon!"

Said human child picked up the now-occupied Pokéball and held it close to their chest with a soft smile on their face. Their first Pokémon... It felt nice to have someone else join their party, and Arwen could attest to that as her Pokéball shook with excitement.

.

.

.

After getting comfortable in Snowdin Town's Pokémon Center, waiting for Nurse Temmie to finish the children's Pokémon checkup -there must've been a Temmie running every Pokémon Center, this couldn't be the same one-, the two turned their heads to the news playing on the small television overhead.

On the screen, a bird-like monster in semi-casual wear was seated next to a smaller monster of the same species wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

Perhaps the two were related?

/"Our next story is of the legendary Pokémon of Willpower, a member of the Legendary Trio. It had been recently spotted around Narrywater Pond by a group of teenagers passing through the area, as well as an engaged couple who deemed it to be a good-luck sighting when interviewed. After consulting the PokéLegends Research Institution, it has been revealed through extensive research that Azelf will remain in the area for two more days, then migrate to other locations in the Ebott region..."/

"I heard that the Legendary Trio travel around the world to really specific magical lakes! The members are called Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie! It's rumored that they stand for Willpower, Emotion, and Knowledge... Isn't that cool, Frisk?!"

The child nodded, their mind flooded in curiosity. Maybe they'd be able to see one of them someday. Asriel turned back to the TV.

"Maybe Azelf was trying to figure out what happened to Narrywater Pond. It had another name, but now everyone calls it Narrywater Pond because it mysteriously lost a lot of water a few months ago...

The furry monster sniffled and rubbed at their eyes.

"I hope they fix it, since the pond is home to a lot of monsters that don't have much space to live anymore..."

Frisk patted their friend's back comfortingly, but that's all they could really do; they weren't used to being on the other side of sadness, and they hoped it wasn't too awkward.

"Th... thank you, Frisk. It means a lot."

...

"...Well, guess we should go see what's up with Narrywater Pond, right? Maybe we can do something to help out! I'll see you here tomorrow, okay Frisk? G'night!"

And with that, the furry monster child runs off, ready to turn in for the evening. Frisk yawned, gathering up their belongings to get ready for another day.

.

.

.

Stepping into the dimmed room they rented in the Pokémon Center for the night, they found an orange bandanna laid out neatly on the red bedsheets. For some reason, there were lines that resembled badly-drawn muscles on it in black marker, but Frisk decided to take it nonetheless.

Maybe their new Pokémon will enjoy it, but they'll save those thoughts for tomorrow.

[You got the Manly Bandanna.]

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 2

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: Apologies for the bit of angst, but we need to wet your palette for what's to come in the future.

I've also been having issues with my anxiety and I considered postponing this chapter for a bit and putting my stories on hiatus for a while. My anxiety has gotten bad enough that I've been getting jitters, and my refusal to eat anything might not be helping with that...

In the end, I decided against it because you guys don't need that disappointment. Even the chapter is longer than I expected it to be! But if you are concerned for me, thank you. It's really appreciated.

...

At least for now, Frisk has a new buddy for their adventures. What could its nickname be, I wonder...

[ ] Name the Hardy, male Espurr.

Remember that previous names still might be chosen until they are used, and that you can vote for other ideas to win! Good luck and may the best nickname win!

Wvhkrgv gsv hgifttov, gsv hglib ivufhvw gl wrv. Rg gszmph rgh uzmh uli rgh hfkklig.))


	8. Chapter 7: Battle Café

((Howdy readers! If you haven't read Chapter 6, please do! The intermission chapter has been replaced with the updated chapter, so go check that out before reading this chapter. Thank you!))

* * *

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Now that Frisk has befriended two Pokémon, they were eligible to battle Sans, their first GYM Leader of eight others. Both nervous and excited, they thought that maybe they should care for Bestimmung -Frisk's nickname for Espurr, to which the Pokémon responded with delight- and Arwen's well-being by spending time with them.

It would be one of the first times they've done this, and they hoped it wasn't going to be too awkward or anything...

They decided to take a few hours to bond closer with their Pokémon and proceeded to visit a local "Battle Café", curious as to why its name was such.

Fighting for tables at a diner, Frisk thought, seemed a bit aggressive. But... It also was a good opportunity to train for the GYM challenge, so they paid the 200-Pokédollars for a sandwich and fries before claiming an empty table in the corner of the room.

They pinky-promised to share their food after Besti started to get grumbly.

.

.

.

A few minutes after they all got comfortable, a yellow lizard-like monster with no arms bounded towards the table and... misstepped, shoving their face into the tile floor. The monster looked up with a grin on their face, showing a set of teeth with an empty space- a lost tooth. Getting up with their tail, they greeted Frisk with a,

"Yo! Are you new around here? 'Cause you look it, haha!

"Yo, so all we have to do is battle, and whoever wins gets the table! I'll be your first opponent! You can call me MK!"

The pair and their Pokémon were suddenly engulfed in a bright light, then Frisk felt themselves standing on nothing for a few moments before they uncovered their eyes.

Before them was a classic dusty Pokémon battlefield, white paint marking the battlefield boundaries. Frisk saw the mons- MK, it was MK- scamper over to the opposite side of the field, yellow striped sweater catching the breeze.

They were glad for the nice weather today.

"Yo!" They heard in the distance. "It'll be a one-on-one battle! Hope you're ready, because I'm not holding back! Go, Elekid!"

MK used their tail to gather a Pokéball from their backpack, tossing it high in the air.

Frisk did the same, sending out Arwen, since it was their first Pokémon in their party.

An announcer overhead shouted, _/"The battle between MK and Frisk will now begin! Each side is only allowed one Pokémon, and normal battle rules apply! MK sent out Elekid and Frisk sent out Eevee!"/_

"I'll make the first move! Elekid, use Pound!" MK ordered with confidence. Their Pokémon trilled and sped forward, barely landing a hit on Arwen before she dodged. Arwen winced a bit at the pain, but shrugged it off and padded at the ground anxiously.

Looking up in thought, Frisk could see Eevee's health showing in a screen set above the battlefield, revealing the battling Pokémon's HP bars. After a few moments, they called out,

"Arwen, use Quick Attack right back at Elekid!"

The timid Eevee landed a swift and critical hit, leaving Elekid breathless, however...

 _/"Oh no! Eevee has been paralyzed! It may not be able to move!"/_

Frisk dove for their bag and searched in a frenzy, desperate for something to heal Arwen. Finding a Paralyze Heal, they called Arwen back to spritz it with medicine.

 _/"Eevee is free from paralysis! It uses Swift!"/_ Rays of energy stars launched out in waves at Arwen's opponent, Elekid trying and failing dreadfully to dodge them all.

Both sides were doing impressively well, dodging and sending out their attacks smoothly, that the battle seemed pretty even.

Frisk figured it would only be a matter of time before MK's Pokémon goes down, and they ordered for a Tackle attack to finish the job, but Elekid was barely able to dodge every attempt. It was quickly proven that Tackle wasn't the best strategy, and Frisk decided to use an attack that will never miss.

 _/"Eevee used Swift again! Frisk is ready to take home the victory as MK struggles through!"/_

The barrage of stars ended as soon as Arwen ran out of energy, and Elekid took that moment to strike, landing a perfect Thundershock to Arwen's torso. The Eevee took a lot of damage, panting heavily, before shakily picking herself up for a final attack.

 _/"Frisk's Eevee used Swift!"/_

MK's Elekid continued in its fruitless attempts at dodging the stars. Quickly going on the offensive, they boldly ran straight towards Arwen in a reckless attempt to defeat her first. Both sides were certain they were going to win.

Much of Arwen's Swift attack hit the dry ground, and the battlefield was soon shrouded in a thick cloud of dust, both Trainers covering their eyes until it subsided.

Two figures stood in the dust cloud, motionless. A thump was heard as one of the figures dropped in exhaustion. Frisk's vision was blurred; it was impossible to make out who won...

But after the dust cloud dissipated, it was clear who claimed the battle's victory.

 _/"MK's Pokémon are unable to battle! Trainer Frisk wins!"/_

.

.

.

The other battles went a bit smoother as Frisk slowly got into the mindset of taking control in the Pokémon battlefield, their confidence and their Pokémon getting stronger with every battle.

Frisk originally thought that battles were pointless brutality, but realizing how much of a bond is needed between Pokémon and Trainer to be connected in battle, they accepted battles whenever it seemed necessary.

After a handful of battles and victories, Frisk managed to keep their table long enough to gain their reward: a slightly soggy sandwich with fries.

Apparently they battled a bit too long, according to the waiter serving them.

At least it was filling.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 2

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: Like what I did with the indoor battling system? I wanted to point out that I'm doing a LOT of worldbuilding with indoor battles because of how differently-structured they are. It leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some other major characters will be introduced like MK here, but I'll try not to make it seem too repetitive. The Battle Café was like those in B/W/2/etc., so I hope it is portrayed to your standards!

Also I'm pissed and embarrassed that I have to look up ALL of these mons' movesets and abilities bc I don't know any of them lmao-

A big thank you to "BiancaShiro" for contributing Bestimmung's name! I didn't leave all that much time, but it was an intermission and I was sure you wanted an update soon! Remember, all names not chosen still have the chance to be a Pokémon's nickname, so cross your fingers and and hope for the best! ^w^ So uh...

...Anyone wanna take a stab at what Sans' GYM team will be? I already have an idea of what it will be but if anyone can guess...

Why not check out Ch. 5 for a little GYM battle recap, hm?

Yzggov hxvmvh ovzev nfxs gl yv wvhrivw. Tvg gl dlip, H.P.))


	9. Chapter 8: Azelf

On their way back to Illusia Town to challenge Sans, the GYM LEADER, Frisk decided to pay a visit to Narrywater Pond- if anything, just to see the sights. Wanting company on their stroll, the child let their Pokémon out of their Pokéballs and let them roam free for a while, occasionally battling the wild Pokémon that jumped out at the little family.

The entire route on the way to the pond was teeming with Espurr, and Frisk quickly beckoned Bestimmung over to their side to tie the Manly Bandanna around his right eye- he adamantly refused to wear it any other way.

At least now the child was able to tell the difference between their Espurr and the wild ones. They dismissed the thought that maybe the Wild Espurr would know where Besti came from.

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The three had ceased in their training to replenish their energy, not bothering nor caring about whether or not that would attract more Pokémon. The crew took a bench that was the nearest to the water's edge -and therefore, the prettiest to gaze at as they ate- and went to town on the sandwiches Frisk made earlier that day.

Sometime after the trio took a lunch break, many of the wild Pokémon that they used to run into had scurried off into the bushes or trees.

Frisk finished their last bite of sandwich and dismissed the thought of any danger despite it all, until...

The little water that was left in Narrywater Pond started to swirl up, and all the water-dwelling monsters that lived in it buried themselves in the mud for safety. A spray of the cool and surprisingly-not-muddied water revealed a small floating figure with two tails before them. Frisk gulped instinctively and backed away, their Pokémon following suit as everyone eyed the blue creature cautiously.

After a few moments, it dawned on Frisk that this was the legendary Pokémon from the news!

...Could it speak?

 _/Hello, human./_

Was it speaking to them?

How? Telepathy?

 _/Yes, human. I sense a strong aura from within you, stronger than any others I've ever seen. Because of this I must ask you: have you learned any magic yet?/_

They thought about it, trying to remember exactly what Magic would let them do. Recalling Asriel's words...

...

 _ **"If you practice long enough, you can learn Magic too! Some really good Magic users can even make their own spells!"**_

...

Seems that's a no. They shook their head.

Wait, did the Pokémon just... Sigh?

 _/It would appear you will meet my brethren someday. They are telling me they would like to. They will also ask the same question, and will want to battle you if you have any knowledge of Magic. Since you do not know, It would seem that I shall teach you myself./_

Uh...

 _/Do not worry, it is not difficult. Magic is derived and inspired by Pokémon abilities and attacks, and therefore it will be simple enough for me to educate you in the basics. First.../_

.

.

.

Step one: Clear your mind of any obtrusive thoughts. Keep your mind on your goal.

Step two: Focus energy in one area of your body. Make sure to keep the energy in that area and the rest of your body balanced, or it will not work.

Step three: Let the energy loose where you please.

...

Frisk had asked Azelf -now growing rather attached to the child- if there was a possibility to infuse a held item with Magic.

 _/Yes, it is possible. However, I would not know how. Perhaps Uxie, another of the Lake Guardians, would be able to assist you? I can instead give you the willpower to be safely on your way from here, as a final gift to you, human./_

Maybe they can encounter Uxie sometime to learn more about Magic, but maybe then can infuse magic themselves? Add some more defense strength to those items, or can they maybe have the ability to speed the wearer up?

They nodded in agreement to Azelf's request regardless.

 _/This will only take a moment./_

After hearing those words, Azelf closed its eyes to concentrate, building up a blue aura of energy. Frisk soon found themselves also enveloped in that same energy, their heart beating with adrenaline and curiosity. They felt a strange tingling that felt like it was running through their veins, through their fingers, their legs, their chest...

Arwen and Besti looked on nervously, chattering amongst themselves in fear, until both their trainer and Azelf had lost the blue outline.

The legendary Pokémon opened its eyes and began to speak again.

 _/Now I must leave. I have done what I need to. With this newfound knowledge, human, you will forever do what you will with determination and willpower. I hope you use this determination well. Farewell./_

And with that, the legendary Pokémon poofed away, leaving Frisk, Arwen, and Besti alone at Narrywater Pond.

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Frisk and their team made their way back to Illusia Town after their encounter with Azelf, still in disbelief at who they met. Realizing that no one would probably believe them, the three decided to keep that memory to themselves. Frisk wondered if they would meet all of the Lake Guardians, if they were all as nice as the first one.

That would be pretty cool.

After making a quick pit stop at the Pokémon Center, the crew was off on their merry way to their first GYM challenge.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 0

Pokémon captured: 2

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: After a drought comes rain. And when I say rain, I mean an update. Sorry for the hiatus guys, I've been busy with things. Luckily it's summer and I can take a break from school to focus on things I like. Like writing fics. X)

So now Frisk has more insight about magic! I like to think the monsters keep to the Pokémon roots pretty well, and Magic is left generally unexplored, so there are many ways to use Magic. However, they are all sorted into Offensive, Defensive, and Status. Offensive is mostly frowned upon with monsters and left for Pokémon use only, while Defensive and Status can be used in everyday life. Status Magic can change the rules of a battle when used in one (ex. Asriel's "Longevity" Magic can lengthen the turns of a status ailment), but is also be grouped with Healing/Recovery Magic on a smaller scale. Let me know if any of you want this fleshed out bc I have a lot to say lmao-

But the question still stands! What do you think Sans' team will be? Any thoughts on the theme of the GYM? When does Papyrus come in?

And which of Frisk's Pokémon items will be infused with magic first (doesn't play a huge role in the story, I'm just indecisive)? With what powers?

Lots of questions to tide y'all over until the next update! See ya soon my lovelies!

EDIT: Whoooaaa... 50-review milestone guys!

Lmv e lmv rm Hnzhs urgv urgv urgv))


	10. Chapter 9: Arcane Badge

((A/N: So, I said I wouldn't do this normally. Putting notes up here. But Teporingo's remix of Trainertale Megalovania is SO FITTING for Sans' battle music, I just had to mention it before we got started!

I'm probably gonna do this with every GYM battle! Most of these recs are in my writing playlist for this fic, so you'll hear what I hear when you read!

I would also like to mention that in "postpacifist-undertale", the Tumblr blog where I talk about all these things, I have also addressed Pokémon Sun and Moon and whether or not it would affect the story. Please go check that out for my opinions, thank you!

This is a little nit-picky, and I understand the reasoning behind it, but if a fic is reader's-opinion and asks a question, if it updates, that mean there is already an answer for those questions. I don't want to be rude about it, but it gets pretty :/ sometimes when I get 10 reviews and they're all replying questions I answered already. Really gets my hopes up for some feedback, yanno? I don't get reviews that often so... Just please be courteous in the future, thank you~))

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"huh. you're back, kid."

Frisk nodded.

"...so i actually have to do my job, now?"

They nodded again.

Sighing, Sans got up from his seat at the end of the GYM "maze". He shuffled his way over to the battle area that Frisk remembered passing by on the way to his seat, and the human child followed suit.

"then let's get to the point."

The lights shut off except for the bright showcase lights that hung overhead. His left eye glowed a wispy blue-green, and an announcer's voice went off in the overhead speakers.

 _/"The battle between Frisk and Illusia Town's GYM Leader Sans will now begin! Each side is only allowed two Pokémon each, and normal battle rules apply!"/_

Like usual, the rules followed. Only the challenger is allowed to swap Pokémon and use items, no level caps, etc. This challenge should be in the bag.

 _/"Leader Sans uses Alertist Magic! The Leader's Pokémon has boosted evasiveness for this battle!"/_

Wait, what?

 _/"Frisk sends out Espurr and Leader Sans sends out Vullaby!"/_

"...you sure that was a good idea, kid?"

They said that of course it was, and had Bestimmung use Confusion. Sure enough, Vullaby came out unscathed.

Darn, they forgot Dark-types were immune to Psychic moves...

They needed to get Besti out of there.

 _/"Vullaby was unaffected! It used Fury Attack!"/_

Hitting three times, that single move dropped Besti's HP down clearly past half, and Frisk immediately called for a switch-in to Arwen.

"Arwen, use Quick Attack!"

Vullaby narrowly dodged, not even a scratch. That evasiveness boost is really annoying, otherwise it would have gotten hit.

Maybe Swift will pull through again?

"Vullaby, use Gust."

Knocking Arwen down a few points of HP, the Eevee stumbled about, trying to get a better footing on the ground.

"Arwen, use Swift!"

"using an attack that'll never miss? now you're definitely using your head, frisk."

...

It was a random thought, but Frisk had to ask, though it might have been stereotypical to comment on. It might not also have been the right time for it, but they would forget to ask about it later.

"well, my bro actually took our cubones and marowaks out for training. the only cubone that isn't doing that is the one that's too young to even see," Sans shrugged nonchalantly.

"but enough talk. Gust again, Vullaby!"

To Frisk's surprise, the HP stat of Vullaby was rather low, and one more Swift attack did the trick after a narrow dodge. Vullaby was tossed into the air by the impact, leaving it breathless and dizzy.

 _/"Leader Sans' Vullaby is unable to battle! Challenger Frisk wins the round!"/_

Frisk pumped at the air enthusiastically. One down, one to go!

"heh, good job frisk. here's my next 'mon."

 _/"Leader Sans sends out Gengar!"/_

Wait, what.

"sorry kiddo. i get kinda iffy about my aces, and gargar always tends to be the one i use for the less-experienced trainers. that being said, he's probably the highest-leveled pokémon you've seen so far."

Ohhh boy...

Wait, this might be good! Ghost-types can't hit Normal-types with any same-type moves!

"Arwen, use Bite!"

Dodged.

"Again!"

Dodged.

"Third time's the charm, try again!"

This time, Arwen landed a clean blow on her opponent with strong jaws as Gengar shook her off and stepped back, hissing in pain.

"gargar, use payback."

The Gengar wore a terrifying grin as it lurched forward and slashed with a dark energy as Frisk watched the HP on the screen drop in horror. After healing up with a Super Potion, Frisk ordered for another Bite attack, not trusting Swift to work because of its Normal-typing.

Maybe it doesn't know many other moves besides Ghost-type. Banking on that theory, Frisk pushed onward.

It can't keep dodging forever, so just keep attacking.

.

.

.

A few more super-effective hits and the Gengar finally went down.

 _/"Leader Sans' Gengar is unable to battle! The winner of the battle is Frisk!"/_

The lights gradually lit back to normal, and both sides returned their Pokémon to their pokéballs. Sans strolled across the battlefield toward Frisk, his classic grin holding a bit of remorse for his first loss in several months.

"congrats, that was a good battle. here's the arcane badge, you've earned it kiddo. you use these to show proof you've beaten one of the eight ebott league gym challenges."

He held out a bony hand, which opened up to reveal a pair of crossed bones protecting a sparkly blue heart. Frisk cupped their hands to receive their badge, but they were also given a small disc-like object as well.

"that there's called a TM. they teach moves to pokémon- if that specific move is compatible with it, i mean. this one is also one of the 'upgraded' ones, actually," Sans continued. "dr. alphys in tekorr city fixed a few bugs that made them break after use, and now they stay intact no matter how much you use 'em. the older versions- the ones humans made- broke after using them once, which is probably why she had so many to test on. we don't exactly get them shipped here, so we just dig around where we can."

"the one I just gave you is called 'payback'. it does double the damage back if the user has been attacked first."

Frisk toyed with the TM in their hands in curiosity before carefully tucking it into a side pocket off their messenger bag. They didn't know if they had a TM case, so they resolved to keep any future ones there for safe-keeping. TMs might not break after use, but who's the say they won't break because of terrible care?

"anyway, that should be it-"

They stopped him about what happened earlier, wanting to know what he needed stronger pokémon for.

"well, this is your first GYM challenge. for others that came from different areas and backgrounds, this might be their fifth, sixth, or even their last one. all GYMs need teams that are suited for each level of challenges, so people don't have to travel hundreds of miles for their first GYM challenge. ya dig?"

Frisk nodded, satisfied with the answer.

After saying their goodbyes and see-you-laters, the human exited the Illusia Town GYM, proudly raising their first badge into the remaining bright rays of sunlight.

[You got the Arcane Badge.]

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 2

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: Hooray! They won! Finally, took them practically years to do some actual GYM battling-

Speaking of which, I got the battlefield bit from Pokémon Insurgence, which is a really awesome fangame I've been playing as of late! They have the battlefields actually built into the GYM, instead of one just magically appearing to be fought on, and I thought that was a good idea!

Now, the city splits off paths around here. To the southern exit is another route, then Coastvale City and a Master Pokémon Contest coming soon with a special guest in tow. To the eastern exit, there is Aonoko Forest, at the end of which is Solava town and Soulsaver Spa, and Grillby's is there if that sways any opinions. Both ways will be visited eventually, but one sooner than the other. No GYMs in either town/city btw, so lemme ask again:

[ ] South, or East?

Lmv wldm, hvevm gl tl. Gdl wldm, ulfi gl tl. Gsivv wldm, lmv gl tl. Bzmml, ru blf xlfmg NP.))


	11. Chapter 10: The Festivities

Frisk felt like a whole new person when they woke up from their rented room of the Pokémon Center, and both their Pokémon felt the same. Packing up their belongings with a refreshed sort of energy, the rookie trainer returned their room keys after breakfast before they left.

Only problem is, where to?

Several times they heard the mention of a Pokémon Contest, but with a name like that it just sounded like a load of bragging rights. There wouldn't be much fun for their rag-tag group of mons.

On the other hand, it seemed to be revered as the yearly carnival back where they came from. It was also only temporary, so maybe it was as fun for everyone as people claimed. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to check it out; it might be fun.

Luckily it was in the next town over, and with any luck, it would only take half a day's walk from where they stood.

.

.

.

Half a day their butt! There was not so much as a hiking trail between Illusia and Coastvale! It was amazing how many uncleared, outright-dangerous rocks that route had! That whole ordeal wasted nearly three days!

Honestly, they should have just taken the ferry. But it cost money that they didn't want to spend, and here they stood in the entrance loop of the grand city with twigs in their hair and mud on their shoes.

They should probably wash up before anything else.

Scrambling to collect the Pokégear from their pocket, they pulled up the Map function and discovered there was no Pokémon Center to be seen... at first.

Apparently the building was attached to a giant Pokémon Contest Hall, and a few modest hotels hung around the area for visitors to stay. Frisk decided to choose the Coastvale Tower as their residence for the time being as they lugged their belongings and tired companions with them.

.

.

.

It had only taken an hour to set up camp in a cramped hotel room on the 3rd floor, but it was a decent enough size to feel comfortable. Nevertheless, they doubted they would be able to sleep tonight with the classic noisy neighbors trope.

One of them was particularly loud, but the other voice seemed... familiar?

They might have missed the opening events of the Pokémon Contest, but they still had time to enjoy themselves before inevitably struggling to get any shut-eye.

Waking a grumpy Arwen and Bestimmung from their naps, the trio headed for the elevator with open expectations. Sure enough, the voices from next door got louder and more clear, before both of the voices showed their face and let Frisk prove their assumption.

"Sans?"

"...? oh, hey kid."

"SANS, WHO IS THIS HUMAN?" the loud voice questioned.

"oh, right. you haven't met haven't you? well, this is frisk, and this is papyrus, my brother." He motioned to each of them with a shrug, respectively, never bothering to take his hands out of his pockets.

After saying their greetings and learning they were all going to the same place, the two groups decided to join up. Papyrus engaged Frisk in a flurry of questions in attempts to befriend them with small talk.

The human answered question after question with quick answers, eventually shifting their attention to the elaborately-decorated velvet carpeting on the floor and the abstract paintings on the wall. Sans continued to encourage his brother's side of the conversation, as per usual.

The group was in no rush, and the chatter helped to steer away the silence as they made their way out of the hotel.

.

.

.

"...SO WE ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR WAY TO MEET SOMEONE," the tall skeleton proclaimed. "HE IS A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF OURS, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN HIM SINCE HIS LAST CONTEST ON TV!"

"i caught a cold or somethin' when we were about to go visit him in vaporeign city last month, and my bro here decided i couldn't take care of myself while he was gone," Sans explained with a smirk.

"I WAS WORRIED FOR YOU! WHO WOULDN'T WHEN YOUR FEVER WAS SO HIGH!"

"38.5 celcius isn't that high."

"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS WORRIED IF YOU DIDN'T GET SICK IN THE FIRST PLACE!" The brothers prattled on as they all walked along the bustling street, the skeletons somehow ignoring the sights around them.

But Frisk took in the scenery like a sponge.

The clouded night sky was littered in tiny stars; much of it was drowned out with all the light pollution and pale smoke from the food stalls, but the stars tried to be seen regardless. The bustling noise of an excited crowd and the shouting of chefs and souvenir sellers and the bump of bodies passing by left Frisk standing in awe. Lights flickered and flashed in colorful patterns, leaving no patch of darkness unlit.

A bored voice called Frisk's name and pulled them out of their reverie.

"hey, kid. you good?"

"Y-yeah, thank you."

"come on, let's go. my bro already ran off to find him," Sans urged, and the two strolled off in search of the skeleton in question.

.

.

.

After plowing through the crowd, the two stragglers finally got to... a door that looked like the exact opposite of the festivities they just passed through. Taking out a ring of keys from his pocket, Sans rifled through them to stick a silver one into the door.

Letting Frisk open said door, they managed to catch a few threads of the conversation before finding themselves staring at a heavy curtain.

"Why, HELLO darling! I hoped I would see you this time~!"

"HEY! YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER MISS YOUR CONTEST, METTATON! ALTHOUGH, MY BROTHER WAS ILL AND I COULD NOT LEAVE THAT ALONE..."

"Don't worry about it, dear! At least you are here now! I like the enthusiasm I get from my fans- really helps with SHOWBIZ, you know!"

Lifting the curtain from their eyes, they saw Papyrus cheerfully conversing with someone -no, was that a robot?- in a flashy purple outfit, decked out in eye-catching heeled boots and a hot-pink feather boa. Hair tousled expensively so it covered one of his violet eyes, they would be an idiot if they thought this person wasn't a part of the Pokémon Contest.

This person was also very, very tall.

Crouching a bit to get down to Frisk's eye-level, he smiled. "Hello there, darling! What brings a child like you here? Are you-" -he gasped mockingly- "-lost?"

"nah, this kid's with us for now. they're name is frisk," Sans stepped in. "you don't mind if they hang out here until the contest, do you?"

Mettaton's eye glittered with joy. "Of COURSE not, my dear Sans! But of course, I'm glad you asked- I wouldn't allow just ANYONE to see me unprepared for my performances! That just WON'T do!"

"you see here, kid, MTT is the most popular pokémon contest host in ebott. he travels everywhere to announce, speculate, and even perform during them sometimes. it honestly seems like too much of a hassle to me, but if he likes it, who am i to get in his way?" Sans shrugged and took a seat in one of the VIP chairs nearby.

"You were ALWAYS so good at explaining things, Sansy! But yes, I am a Pokémon Contest Host!" Mettaton said with a grin, leaning on his plush chair as he busied himself with his hair.

Suddenly, a small rabbit-like monster was shoved through the other door across the room -presumably to the Contest Hall-, a tiny clipboard nervously in hand and shaky from the faces that stared back. "Uhhh... Mettaton sir? Do you know where the special guest is? I can't find her to finish her outfi-"

The host turned to the intruder and glared, sending his assistant to shivers. "I-I-I mean, if you haven't, we'll just look harder!"

Everyone had relaxed by then, and Mettaton had gone over to the bunny to discuss the matter more quietly. "You weren't supposed to mention anything of Contest matters to the public, Chenny," he hissed. His face slowly came up to a venomous smile. "You know it's within the contract that if one word of previews escaped to the public before they happen, you are eligible to be fired~?"

They nodded stiffly.

"Hmm... well, I'm sure we'll find her in time for the show. We've still got an hour to round her up, so hop to it!" he barked, dismissing the bunny monster.

...

Turning on his heel to face Frisk and the skeletons, the robot smiled bemusedly. He needed his company to leave so he could finish his business, but it was such a shame they couldn't stay longer...

"Now that THAT'S all sorted out, I'm sure you must all be itching to enjoy the booths outside! Uhh, go buy me a souvenir, if you want!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS GOING TO BE A-"

"YES yes, now please don't tell anyone! Keep it a surprise and I might save you some spotlight in the future~!"

"OH BOY! WE'LL SEE YOU LATER, METTATON!"

The door shut rather heavily on their way out, but the trio was not deterred and parted ways to find booths that struck their fancy.

A fishing booth allowed Frisk to obtain a Feebas for their Pokédex, but they were worried it wouldn't survive too long without water and stuck it in the PC nearby for future use.

Maybe they'll release it or trade it to someone else. There's bound to be someone who liked it.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 3

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: With unanimous votes from the readers, we're off to the Pokémon Contest! For those worried about how I'll set this up, it would be based more off the games than the anime.

Although, Frisk's chances of actually PARTICIPATING are slim to none. It's a Master Rank, and they barely even know what these things are. That doesn't mean they won't get their generous fill of the special guest, though, so hold into your hats!

This is probably one of the longer chapters, but I'm pretty satisfied with this one.

Not that relevant, but Frisk needed more mons. This won't be in their final party, but...

[ ] Name the Adamant, Female Feebas.

Ivzwb uli hlnv ufm rm gsv hfm!))


	12. Chapter 11: Alphys

Accidentally losing Sans and Papyrus in the rows of stands, Frisk set off to find a seat or two in the already-crowded building of a Contest Hall. Their Pokémon were also itching to see the sights as they went, so they released them from their Pokéballs for the time being.

Although the tickets were held at 100 each, tickets for Pokémon under 2 feet tall were allowed a 50% discount per seat.

All things considered, if this event really was as good as everyone said it was, then the money was well-worth it.

Snaking their way through the narrow aisles, they were lucky enough to snatch up two seats practically right in front of the stage; Arwen and Bestimmung jumped up onto one as soon as they caught sight of it, with their Trainer quickly following suit.

Looking around at their surroundings, the child could see the elevated stage floor up close and personal- not even 5 rows away from where they sat. Cleanly polished, golden-hued, and decorated on every other surface with glittering ribbons and lights, it certainly looked like the place for Trainers and Pokémon to strut their stuff.

And they got to see it today firsthand.

Checking the time on their Pokégear, it read 8:30pm. Seemed the festivities would start fairly soon, as the remaining seats began filling up with occupants looking for a good show.

.

.

.

Monsters chattered amongst themselves, waiting around for the show to begin. Frisk took a few minutes in the meantime to buy a few snacks for the three of them, leaving Arwen and Besti to defend their territory.

When they got back, the lights dimmed suddenly, and a clap of hands rang out. A single spotlight brightened above a familiar figure standing in the middle of the circular stage, and then he began to speak, microphone in hand.

"I'd like to introduce an old friend of mine to the stage. She works in the background, and every aspect of my glamorous performances has her to thank for making all my dreams a reality." His face became somber for a moment before he brought up his cheeriness once again.

"Here she will stand before you, finally the star of her own performance that she offers to us all today!

"We welcome you, Dr. Alphys- GYM Leader of Tekorr City!"

...

"Ahem. Dr. Alphys, the GYM Leader of Tekorr City!"

...

"One moment, my dearies."

Mettaton fashionably fast-walked past a velvet curtain, presumably getting the monster-in-question. Some rustling indicated a bit of a struggle as the guest wrestled for escape.

The entire conversation off-stage was picked up by the show host's mic, and people around Frisk became to snicker.

"You were the one who asked to join me up here, dear! I'm giving you the chance of a lifetime! Come now, everyone is waiting for you!"

"I... I-I don't think... will they like me?"

 _"BUT OF COURSE THEY WILL, DARLING!_ " he shrieked, causing the audience to cover their ears. Ignoring the ringing pain, they all struggled to hear what he said next.

"Well, at least I think they are! Let's hear it, everyone! Alphys, Alphys!"

"ALPHYS! ALPHYS! ALPHYS! ALPHYS!" The crowd chanted, Frisk and their Pokémon chanting along right with them all. Eventually, everyone hushed down at the sight of a yellow tail peeking out from under the curtain fabric.

"Are you ready, my dear Alphys?"

"Y-y-yeah... I-"

" _WELL HERE SHE IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! INTRODUCING, THE ONE, THE ONLY: DR. ALPHYS!"_

Cue a roar of cheers and clapping, with mutters of astonishment sprinkled throughout when she steps nervously on stage. She wore a pink and black dress -obviously a sign of Mettaton's handiwork- with dashes of white frills and polka-dots to accent her scales. A cute black hat sat upon her head to pull the outfit together, long yellow feathers quivering at her every anxious movement.

Once everyone had fallen silent once again, Alphys took a deep breath and reached into her dress pockets, pulling out two white Pokéballs with red outlines.

Frisk couldn't help but wonder where she got those.

Suddenly gaining enough confidence, she struck a pose that sent out a blinding white light into the crowd with enough glitter to kill the fashion police.

The audience screamed in delight as half of the light took the form of a slinky Heliolisk -verified with a check to their Pokégear-, a Pokémon well-loved but rarely found in the Ebott region. An Ampharos -also verified with the Pokégear- took shape soon after, earning the rest of the crowd's approval with its cuddly appeal.

Frisk wondered why monsters were so interested in elemental typings, but then they recalled a bit of history from when they were living in the Dreemurr household.

Helping to offer light, heat, and electricity to power homes and facilities all over the region, Electric-types are sought after for all they're worth. While Fire-types also play a similar role, there are many times where kindling and things to burn are in short stock.

Monsters' magic had not been developed well enough to produce a long-lasting fire without outside fuel, burning up almost 10 year's worth of a monster's weak life essence in less than an hour. Naturally, monsters have learned to utilize whatever they can scrounge up in dumpsters and the environments throughout the region. Even at the cost of almost all Electric-types going extinct.

It was curious to know that Dr. Alphys has at least two rare Pokémon at her disposal, but it sounds like she is a researcher. They'll ask her about it later, since Mettaton said she's also a GYM Leader.

Somehow. She must be very busy, if it's true.

What snapped Frisk back to the show were not the cute poses the Pokémon and their Trainer made, nor was the dance of white and yellow sparks as they singed the humid air with the Pokémon in perfect sync. Rather, it was the Ampharos gradually being engulfed by a purplish capsule of light throughout the show that brought Frisk back from their musings.

Seemed their thoughts made them miss almost half the show; this must be the finale...

One voice in the audience began to shout "MEGA! MEGA! MEGA!", and others soon picked up the hint and began to join in.

After a few moments, the entire hall was shrouded in echoes of the monsters' chanting as the lavender glow fully obscured everyone's sight of the Pokémon, Alphys backing away a bit to let the audience see better with a smile on her face. A shrill buzz hissed in everyone's ears when they heard it, and another bright light blinded their eyes.

When everything settled, Ampharos stood in the center of the stage, basking in the afterglow of leftover energy from the transformation raining down from above onto the crowd for the finale.

A rumble of cheers rose up, with Frisk and their Pokémon rigidly sitting upright in awe. Quite literally stunned by the performance.

The Ampharos looked similar to what it originally was, but curls of fluffy white fur ran down its back and covered its tail, red glowing orbs scattered along it.

Combing through the audience, Ampharos managed eye contact with Frisk, and smiled proudly before turning away to strike a final pose with its Pokémon partner and monster Trainer.

The performing trio began to back towards backstage as Mettaton re-emerged from the shadows. He waited a moment for the crowd to settle before he spoke to finish off the day's events.

"Thank you, Dr. Alphys, for your stunning display of elegance and electrifying energy! This concludes the first day of the Pokémon Contest!"

Wait, the first DAY?

"Tomorrow, same time, we'll introduce the contestants and have ourselves a little "entrance exam"! Be there, my darlings!"

Another long round of applause, and then monsters began trailing out the doors.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 3

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: It was good? Yes? Aw. Well, thanks for your honesty. I haven't written in a bit, so this was my chance to get back in the game. I just got done writing a research essay, so my brain is a little weird now lmao

Basically, this is how the rest of the event will play out: Introducing the four contestants, then appeal rounds until round 5, the last-ditch effort. This event is dragging on too long, so I'll cut it to where Frisk is on their way to getting another Pokémon for their team.

Thanks for all the support and interest in this fic so far! I know it's been pretty slow, but I have a lot more planned in the future, I promise!

In the meantime, check out "Postpacifist-Undertale" on Tumblr for semi-active updates and hints on what's to come! Follow if you like, I really appreciate it! If you want me to explain something further, pop a review or ask my way! I always answer good ones (but it takes me a while lmao sorry), so be respectful! I'm off!

Zoksbh rh z kfiv orggov oraziw.))


	13. Chapter 12: Behind-the-Scenes

That Pokémon Contest was AMAZING.

Everyone was so well-dressed, their Pokémon partners were so in time with the music and the beat, following every order of their Trainer with style and grace! If they made any flaws in one of their performances, it was met with an elegant apology and they rose up again in the following round better than ever!

The last round was the last-ditch effort, and Frisk thought that was the most thrilling and heart-racing series of performances they will probably ever see in their life. Who knew there were so many talented people in the Ebott region? Frisk considered to travel down that path, but realizing how much stress showbiz would be, they decided it would be better for them to stay on the simple road of Pokémon training.

They all should be able to show off their unique talents like everyone else in the world, but Frisk was sad to realize that discrimination would probably rear its ugly head if the monsters ever left.

Bumping into Sans was what snapped them out of their musings.

"hey kid, you alright? you look a little distracted," the hooded skeleton commented. Frisk waved off his concern with a hand, then brought up their normal, cheery demeanor.

"It was nothing, I promise."

As they days went by and Frisk got used to giving commands to their Pokémon during battle, it was getting easier and easier to communicate with their voice. If they didn't want to be heard, they would still switch to sign language, but it was a good thing their friends still understood them either way. As if everyone learned it as a second language, or something.

But actually, it wasn't as much of a big deal as they thought, since it definitely made it easier to talk to people.

"well, if you're sure... anyway, i'm off to go find another friend of mine. why don't you come with?" Sans shuffled a few rolled blue papers in his hand. "she's probably a little out of it, since she just got home from being in the pokémon contest, but she'd be happy to see you, i think."

She was at the Pokémon Contest? Wonder who that could be? Scrambling to retrieve the flyer with all the contestants from their bag as the two walked back to the hotel to pack up and leave. Maybe that would aid them in their search.

Their mind buzzed with questions, but nothing was really answered in the flyer at all- just what they looked like and what their names were.

Frisk inwardly sighed in defeat, opting to just wait until they were at their destination.

.

.

.

Packing up was one of the more difficult things to do upon their leave, since all their clothes weren't as folded up as nicely as they were before the hotel stay.

Nothing just seemed to fit. That seemed to be a universal concept.

Hearing a knock at their hotel room, Frisk clicked open the door to see Sans and Papyrus with all their baggage.

"ARE YOU READY TO LEAVE, HUMAN?"

Yup, they nodded.

"WELL, LET'S GET GOING! WE CAN'T BE LATE TO OUR APPOINTMENT, YOU TWO!"

The two smaller people stifled laughter, since they both knew this was Sans' mission to complete. After Frisk closed the door to their room, Sans put a bony hand on their shoulder and another on the door.

"wait, let's use my shortcut."

Somehow able to open the door without the key card, the door revealed an area that was right in front of.. a huge wall of white?

"go on, then. time's a-wastin'."

.

.

.

Stepping in front of a white-steel door, Sans knocked with a hand that wasn't carrying his belongings. The knock reverberated throughout the structure, even shaking the cement it was built into under Frisk's feet a bit. The metal scratching noise that went on since they got there slowed to a stop; someone was clearly in there.

Although it sounded so empty, it was hard to tell.

"alphys, you there?"

Alphys? That name sounded familiar... Wait, was this THE Alphys? The one that performed during the Special Guest part of the Pokémon Contest?

Cool.

"C-Coming! One m-moment, please!"

With what sounded like someone undoing several heavy locks, the door finally cracked open just a bit, just enough to see a nervous eye peek out from behind the door. A voice gasped in realization, and then the door swung open to let her visitors in.

"O-Oh, hi Sans! And Papyrus too! How are things?"

"just fine 'n' dandy. hey, we saw your performance a few days ago. probably one of the best ones i've ever seen. really had me JUMP OUT OF MY SKIN to find out you had a mega evolving pokémon," Sans replied casually, earning a chuckle from everyone but Papyrus- who duly bopped his brother on the head in mock annoyance.

Frisk was able to see Alphys in her full, natural glory: dressed in a shirt that read "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" on the front in stylized letters, slightly obstructed by a white lab coat. Glasses that looked too big for her face hung on her yellow snout, her tail tapping the floor and her hands covering her face in a blush.

"R-really? Thank you! For the compliment, I mean. Please, come in!" She quickly gestured inside, and the trio fully obliged. "It's a little messy, b-but please make yourself at home!"

It was actually really messy in there, but Frisk didn't dare to comment on it. Several of the tile floors were cracked and stained from chemicals that were clumsily cleaned up (they were glad to be wearing shoes), tables and chairs creaking from the weight of miscellaneous papers and unfinished inventions, the walls a stark white and littered with various cutesy anime posters and graphs of data. To the right, a table held a boxy computer surrounded by yet more papers... and scantily-dressed action figures?

The room they entered was actually rather small, smaller than what its exterior claimed. Perhaps there are other rooms?

Papyrus and Frisk were careful to avoid any foreign stains and diagrams that created obstacles in the floor, but Sans hardly seemed to care, stepping over anything in his path to keep up with Alphys. The two chattered along with something Frisk could barely understand- maybe it was a scientific thing.

As the group walked, Frisk was able to get a look at a few blueprints that hung on the walls. A machine that created blobs of something out of long, weedy strands; some boxy figure standing with a microphone in its hand that was hard to make out because of the heavy "X"s covering the paper; a simple cube that had just one word on it: "Bed"; among others...

Though interesting, it was hard to tell what these inventions were even for.

...

Upon reaching the end of the room, there was another bolted door to the side of another normal wood door. Alphys gestured to the bolted door with a bit of grandiosity, but not proud enough to actually open the door.

"Th-this is where all my inventions go! I have all sorts of products that... didn't actually get patented yet... along w-with others that aren't exactly... child-friendly..." She looked down at her hands in shame, and Frisk could see the fading scars and bruises resulting from her hard work gone to waste.

Thinking on their toes, Frisk went up to her and offered their arms into a hug, and Alphys gladly accepted. After a few moments, Alphys let go and rubbed her eyes.

"W-well then, now that that's over with... Do you want to m-meet my Pokémon partners?"

Everyone cheered in agreement, and Alphys laughed as she clicked open the wooden door at the far end of the room. Inside were Pokémon species of all kinds, of all kinds of typings, shapes, and sizes. Frisk let out their Pokémon to get a share of the excitement; Besti and Arwen grew very attached to the Plusle and Minun

Various Fire-types for welding metal, Electric-types to power machines, Water-types to clean up the workplace, Steel-types, Ground-types, and Rock-types to sniff out rock metal veins from the quarries, Grass-types and Psychic-types to... probably make sure the inventor actually ate something, Frisk could only guess with a giggle.

Strolling through what they could, Frisk grinned so large their face began to hurt. There were just so many Pokémon in one place! Look, there's the Heliolisk from the Contest with its... babies? Aww...

Where was the Ampharos, though?

"Hey, everyone! My Ampharos is over here!" Alphys waved from across the room. The rest of the group quickly set their sights on the guest star of the Pokémon Contest, anxious to see an overnight-celebrity up close. The yellow lizard monster disappeared behind a straw shack, whispering something Frisk couldn't hear. Perhaps it was to wake it up?

Monster trainer and Pokémon stepped out of the shack, the Ampharos rubbing its eyes from the receding sleep.

If there was one thing Frisk learned from this visit, it was that this particular Ampharos was definitely a lot taller up close- nearly double the size of its owner. Even though Alphys nor most of the group was over 4'7", the fact that Ampharos was way over the 5' mark was enough for Frisk to be slightly intimidated by its plush form.

It was when the Pokémon bent over to obtain loving head pats from its peers that Frisk noticed a strange collar-like thing around its neck. It had a glass marble-like item embedded into it that sparkled in the bright lights of the room, and the collar itself looked very worn- not with use, but from the tweaking and tinkering of the creator's hands.

"Th-that's the Mega Collar for Ampharos! That's how it was able to Mega-Evolve during the show!" Alphys proclaimed. "I've only made a few of these devices that actually work, and the stones are so hard to find, so that's why they're so rare in the Ebott region! I'm one of the only few in the entire region to have a Mega-item!

"The only reason why the public knows of these is because some renowned explorer came back from a faraway place called the Kalos region and told everyone stories of their adventure! They even came back with a Mega Stone for their Charizard as a souvenir! That gave me an idea, and now I'm trying to make Mega-items for everyone! B-but, ah... I didn't think of the idea, of course, so I can't really make much money off of it but, that's okay! I... I just want people to notice what I do."

The way Alphys spoke so well of this specific person made Frisk realize that all these inventions she created were dreamt up with the idea that she could be just as popular as everyone else.

She just wanted everyone to like her, and that's not such a bad goal at all. The only problem was that she didn't know how known she was by the rest of the world already, but maybe that will be learned in due time.

Frisk wished her luck on her dreams.

"Thank you, Frisk. I-It really... It means a lot," she smiled gratefully.

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The trio eventually left Alphys' lab-house and the skeleton brothers dropped Frisk off at a new place called Furfield Town- through another one of Sans' shortcuts, of course. Frisk quickly booked a room at the Pokémon Center as soon as they could so they could sleep the exciting night off.

Letting their Pokémon out of their Pokéballs for the evening, they whispered, "Goodnight, you two" before they all fell into pleasant dreams.

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* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 3

[FILE 1 SAVED]

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((A/N: Long chapter amirite? Not long enough? Eh. Long enough for me. Looks like another GYM badge is just over the horizon for us, hope you all brought something to occupy yourselves 'till then! :D

Though, I have to say we have another predicament. I said a while ago that I would introduce another rival, and that hasn't happened yet. I wonder why? Oh, maybe it's because I haven't decided WHEN. Why not help me out?

After finishing the 2nd GYM? Or after Frisk gets a new 'mon? You decide!

'Till then, goodbye my beauties!

Wzip, wzipvi, bvg wzipvi... dzrg, gszg'h gsv dilmt kvihlm. Nzbyv R hslfow hglk kfggrmt gsvhv zg gsv ylggln lu gsv Z/Mh, gsvb'iv tvggrmt sziw gl gsrmp fk.))


	14. Chapter 13: Snow and Ice

((A/N: Pretty low turnout on the decision-making compared to the last one, so I'm deciding where we go from here -w-))

* * *

The motley trio of human and Pokémon left the Pokémon Center, expecting to return to their room after a quick exploration trip around Furfield Town. It was a quaint little place, filled with content monsters and Pokémon scurrying around; Frisk also noted that most of its inhabitants were dogs, or at least that's what most of the monsters looked like. They all had dog-like Pokémon, too, what's with this place?

The human wasn't complaining, of course. Dogs were nice. Besti wasn't having the best time, but as long as he didn't get into trouble everything will be alright.

Frisk quickly glanced at a building painted in colorful baby colors and they needed a double-take. Leading their group over to yet another dog monster that sat at the front desk of the building, they asked what this building was for.

"Why, it's a Day Care! For Pokémon, of course. Are you new here? Hello!" the monster -peeking at her name tag, her name was Pawrissa- greeted cheerfully, her black-speckled tail swishing from side to side in excitement. "If you leave your Pokémon here, they gain levels while you're busy doing other things! And if you leave two of them, sometimes an Egg will appear!"

Pawrissa continued thoughtfully, "We actually have a few Eggs that we can't take care of right now. Someone left their Pokémon in the Day Care and never came back for them, and it's been slowing our business like mad since we don't have space for other people's Pokémon. We've been trying to give the babies and Eggs homes, but we still have too many. Would you care to take an Egg off our hands?"

They weren't going to accept one at first; it looked too big to carry around. But the dog monster's puppy eyes and whines got to them, and suddenly a glass case with a speckled Egg in it was thrust into their arms. Pawrissa looked just about ready to give licks of gratitude, but she looked to be holding herself back, gripping her paws instead.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! We're so grateful! As soon as we have enough space for more Pokémon, I'll be sure to thank you with a discount price if you happen to need your Pokémon cared for!"

And with that, Frisk stepped out of the building with another member added to their party.

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When they left the Day Care, the air suddenly turned quite chilly when it wasn't before.

The browning grass and their breath being visible didn't help with their shivering situation, and Frisk returned their Pokémon to their respective Pokéballs to shield them from the cold. The human was worried for their new Egg, eventually giving up their snug sweater to keep it warm despite their Pokémons' struggling otherwise. It almost seemed like the Egg didn't agree with their decision either, but they chalked it up to their imagination.

The group rushed back the the Pokémon Center on the opposite side of town, passing the blur of a giant black-and-white building among several other homes. It might have been the GYM of the town, but they weren't going to freeze in the cold to find out.

Snow had begun to fall just as Frisk stumbled into the Pokémon Center lobby, and a blast of warm air greeted them as they huffed in relief.

"Oh dear! Are you alright, weird puppy?" A furred paw reached out in front of where Frisk laid on the tile floor, too exhausted from their mad dash to move, and the human almost thought that it was Toriel until the monster referred to them as a "weird puppy."

Looking up, Frisk could see the face of a white dog with long, pretty eyelashes wearing a heavy black coat with another dog's face on it. Only after they were helped up did they realize that their savior held a giant axe in her other hand and that the dog on her clothing was real and wandered over to her side with yet another axe.

"That's a really weird puppy, Dogaressa. I don't trust it," said the other dog with a gruff voice.

"But dear, it's shivering! It doesn't even have a thick coat to cover itself!" The monster, Dogaressa, huffed back, turning towards Frisk. "Oh! I know what might help! I'll just be a moment!" Hurrying away to the rooms of the Pokémon Center, Frisk found themselves alone with Dogaressa's husband- not the best idea.

"I guess if my little pup likes you, then you aren't so bad. But if you ARE bad, this'll be a warning not to steal her. She's mine," he said in a harsh whisper.

Wait, what?

A swish of clothing later and Frisk suddenly was wearing a giant, fluffy jacket. It was a sleek black color with strips of fur lining the sleeves, the hood, and the bottom of it, and Frisk wasn't exactly sure how she was able to get this from... anywhere, really. The Ebott region didn't seem to be cold except for this one particular town. It had a metallic scent to it, and a giant MTT logo was stamped to one of the pockets, but otherwise it looked no different from those expensive jackets Frisk couldn't imagine themselves owning.

"We were visiting here from Tekorr City on a vacation and I bought this without thinking! I don't even need something this fluffy when I have fur! Go on, weird puppy, take it!"

After a bit of denial, Frisk reluctantly accepted the gift. It seemed really expensive, too; it would be a good idea to take care of it, and they said their thanks before the couple disappeared down one of the Pokémon Center halls.

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It seemed the building Frisk passed in their hurry to find shelter was the Pokémon GYM for this town, as they checked the map on their Pokégear. After the snow stops falling and the weather gets a little warmer, they'll go check it out.

In the meanwhile, they kept getting comments from passersby that saw their Egg and many of them were fellow trainers that gave them good advice on how to hatch Eggs safely. A few of them even mentioned the trainer that left their Pokémon in the Day Care and never came back for them, just as Pawrissa told them. It really is a small town, isn't it?

There's not much else to do here but go to the Pokémon GYM, and they didn't think they were strong enough to take it on just yet.

An area call the Snowpoff Plateau roused interest in Frisk as they looked at the map more closely. It was right behind Furfield Town; maybe that's why the town gets sudden cold spells. It was also the main entrance to Snowbeak Mountains, how did their journey get them so close to where they started? They assumed it was just they way the route was, so they changed the subject.

Maybe they could even find another Pokémon to befriend? None of the wild Pokémon so far had seemed too interested in doing that, but there's bound to be a few around here that would be happy to get out of the cold.

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The snow became slushy as they left the Pokémon Center as they carefully maneuvered around larger snowbanks and big puddles of already-melted snow. The air was still cold, but they were warm enough in their new jacket that wasn't too much of a problem. Frisk pushed away the thought that it would have been nice of Dogaressa if she got them boots, too.

A sign that said "You are now leaving Furfield Town" greeted them as they passed it on their way to the Snowpoff Plateau. They noticed the other side of the same sign said "Welcome to Furfield Town" with a red logo messily graffitied on it, and for some reason that made them a little nervous.

The craggy path carved into the landscape seemed more dangerous than it let on: unswept gravel made them trip a little and the chilly atmosphere made them sneeze as they breathed it in. Occasionally they had to shrug off some snow that fell on their form and change their socks so they wouldn't get frostbite through their sneakers. After putting on some Repel, the wild Pokémon didn't appear as often as they usually did- much to Frisk's relief; the wild Pokémon were very tough to beat!

It all felt very familiar to an earlier memory they wanted to forget, but it wasn't the same because they had friends with them now. They were okay. They were-

A gaping hole in the wall took them by surprise as they hugged the wall and suddenly nothing was there to hold onto as they ungracefully fell into it. Peeking inside, it was surprisingly a bit warmer than the outside weather and they happily took refuge inside it. Frisk let their Pokémon out of their Pokéballs so they both could see the progress their trainer made.

After filling their stomach and resting their feet, Frisk looked down into the cave further and saw predatory eyes looking back at them.

Uh oh.

The cave was filled with screeching noises and the sounds of the human's Pokémon crying out in fear as Frisk struggled to hide their face and their vulnerable Egg and Pokémon from the attacks of Zubat and Golbat.

A little shaken up but otherwise unharmed, Frisk thought that was a good time to leave. However, a strange glittering shone in the corner of Frisk's eye and they wanted nothing more than to investigate its source. It could be some kind of treasure, wouldn't that be cool? Using the Pokégear's flashlight app, it lit the way.

Strolling down the path in the cave, Frisk quickly realized that the sparkles weren't from one source, but hundreds- shards of crystal poked out from the cave walls, bits of beautiful color sparkling on every surface the Pokégear light touched. Pink, red, yellow, green, blue, purple; all the colors were there, and they only got more abundant with every step they took. They eventually reached a room that was nothing but crystals and stones, and a peculiar, giant stone covered in ice was the centerpiece.

The view was sheer bliss.

Almost forgetting their Pokémon in their reverie, Frisk pulled out Arwen and Besti's Pokéballs and let them out to join in the sights. A flash of light as the two popped out made the room brighter and shimmer even more as the trio awed at the show.

But Frisk couldn't help but notice that Arwen, though she was very impressed with the sights, didn't touch the crystals and was very careful to avoid any of them that scattered on the ground. Frisk checked the Pokégear if it was normal for an Eevee to do this, and sure enough it was because Eevee could evolve in all these special ways! They didn't even have a clue! Were these stones all shards of evolutionary stones?

Browsing through what Arwen could evolve into, they decided that Glaceon was the cutest of the eight that existed- to the Pokégear's knowledge. Apparently the Sylveon one was only discovered recently.

Eevee evolved into Glaceon near an Ice Rock. Was the centerpiece rock one of those? Curious, Frisk called Arwen over to test their idea; Frisk eventually resigned to carrying her over there because she was being careful about not coming into contact with any of the stones, and pressed one of her paws to the rock.

She shivered when she touched it, but soon her body began to glow. Frisk immediately set her down as her entire body was eventually smothered in a white light, a strange energy coursed through the crystal cavern as she began to change shape. The silhouette of her tail and ears stretched out slimmer and became pointier, two ribbonlike appendages also grew out from her temples as she grew taller in an instant.

Frisk couldn't help but open their mouth in awe, and apparently Bestimmung couldn't help but do the same. It looked like those cartoons Frisk heard snippets of but could never actually watch, where girls transformed into magical versions of themselves and stopped evil in their tracks.

The light eventually faded when Arwen stopped changing, and what Frisk didn't see was their little Eevee but in fact something else. Dark blue diamonds of fur covered parts of her ice-blue body, ears sticking out from her teal crown and dangles on her head.

Frisk could still see traces of tan fur around her collar and her tail from what she used to be. She looked confident when she transformed, proud of her success and her potential strength, but the moment she saw her trainer she sank down in shame. They might not have wanted this to happen, now she was stuck like this, would they still love her? But Frisk wasn't upset.

They were ecstatic.

Snatching up Arwen in their arms, Frisk excitedly started chatter on about how cute she looks, even if she had changed. That she was still loved, even now, and that now she could hold her own in battles even better than before, and that they were proud of her and her success. Besti, her best friend, yipped in joy at his friend's evolution, secretly anticipating his own evolution in a few more battles as well.

Frisk thought it was strange when Arwen started to cry in happiness.

Picking up the Faded Ribbon that had slipped off during their Pokémon's transformation, Frisk proudly tied the ribbon in a bow securely back on her left ear.

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 3

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((Yaaaaay evolutions! This is what I like to call, A Long-Ass Chapter. Whew! Sorry for the break, but school is being a struggle and trying to prepare me for finals lmao

Happy early holidays, everyone! I have a feeling of what I should do next, so no decisions to be made this time 'round! Don't worry, it'll be good I promise

Blf xzm tfvhh dszg szkkvmh mvcg, ru blf dzmg!))


	15. Chapter 14: Anticipation

After retreating back from Snowpoff Plateau, Frisk and friends decided to stay one more night in the Pokémon Center before starting their GYM challenge in Furfield Town. But before they could enter the building, two familiar dog monsters blocked the way, with a figure that was spewing orders that Frisk couldn't hear.

A figure that wore a black sweater with the letter "C" on it, black work pants, and tall boots- all accented with red streaks.

A figure that looked... human?

Wait, could this have been...

"Y-You're-" Frisk stuttered, immediately getting cut off as the figure turned to see their interruption nervously glance at the duo in black. Regaining their composure, they cleared their throat.

"Yeah yeah, I am. But please don't tell Asriel I'm here, I don't need him to get involved in what I'm doing." Chara paused, adding a desperate "please" as they looked up mournfully. "Even if I wanted to go back home with him, I know I can't. Not after what I plan to do."

"I'm sure it's not that bad-"

"No. It'll be worse. J-Just... Just don't get him involved, please? Stop me all you like, but leave him out of this."

Chara turned around, poising to leave. "I would really appreciate it."

And as they walked away, followed by their accomplices, they all left Frisk standing alone in front of the Pokémon GYM, feeling less and less interested in their future battles.

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When they stepped in the door, they smelled a wave of something strangely familiar wash over them in the scent of pet treats, rubber chew toys, and sweat. Judging from the decor and background of Furfield Town in general, it wasn't too daring to guess that the GYM would be related to dogs in some way.

Chew toys and frisbees were seen in every hue, the floor was like a toddler's playpen of puzzle pieces and colorful alphabets. Tennis balls were strewn haphazardly across the room posing as obstacles -maybe distractions to the more doglike-challengers-, but the neon-green color clashed with the slightly-faded floor and made it easy to avoid them all.

Most of them.

As Frisk traveled through the GYM, a friend of theirs caught their eye. A battle with the traveling trainer Napstablook, a ghost friend from one of their prior Battle Restaurant excursions that they had wandered into every so often, brought back Frisk's adrenaline and excitement for the GYM battle ahead of them.

They were more interested in the quiet life of tending to their Goomy farm than battling, but after their cousin became a regional hit -Frisk could only guess who that was-, the concept of battling was eventually brought to light. Their simple, laid-back strategy allowed their choice Pokémon -Sliggoo and Misdreavus, naturally- to train how they wished, and everyone came out of the relationship satisfied and a feeling of independence.

Frisk couldn't help but admire that training style, but none of their Pokémon wanted that kind of strategy, so both parties parted on friendly terms after a quick battle.

Turning their sights back to the GYM, the arrangement of obstacles and assorted trainers made the building seem more like the Pokémon Day Care than an actual GYM- at least one that they would imagine. Sans' GYM was interesting -and definitely had the atmosphere of an intimidating challenge-, but if he wasn't so lazy to set down puzzles, it lost its spark pretty quickly.

Pull a tug rope here, ring a bell there, and the path to the GYM Leaders became more and more clear. It was simple, a little too simple.

They honestly expected something a little more mature and sophisticated in an official GYM, but then again, these were dogs. Dog monsters.

What did they expect, really.

Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Dogamy and Dogaressa perched atop a shared double-throne, and Frisk healed up their Pokémon from the battles they endured on their way past the maze of dogness.

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"Hello, weird puppy. We've been waiting for you." Dogamy's voice spoke up.

"Yes, weird puppy. Oh, is that the sweater I gave you? It looks nice on you!" Dogaressa said with cheer. Frisk couldn't help but smile at the compliment, even if she did still think of them as a puppy. Dogamy looked away, clearing his throat.

"You want a badge? We need to know if you're worth it. How many do you have already?" he demanded, his wife gripping to his left arm with the paw that isn't holding her axe.

"Well? Don't keep my good boy waiting~!" she said expectantly.

Frisk said that they got an Arcane badge, and it flashed in the bright lights with a polished gleam as they opened Toriel's badge case.

"Wh-what?! You already have a badge?!" Dogamy gasped in astonishment. "But you smell like you've just left the doghouse! How did you get one so early?! Especially... THAT one?!"

Frisk was a little confused; was there something they didn't know about?

"That tiny skeleton will barely go to work in the morning, much less battle any trainer that walks in just like that! A-and, he almost never loses! Maybe he was okay with you, or something..."

So it was just a matter of his laziness and bias. Frisk sighed.

"At any rate, we'll battle in a second," Dogaressa continued. "And when I mean 'we'..."

"...She means, 'me and her', versus you." Dogamy finished, propping up his axe against the wall. "In a double battle."

"Two Pokémon on the field at the same time. Whichever side has both of their Pokémon faint loses. We'll give you a moment to prepare- we don't have the right Pokémon for your level right now!"

As she explained the rules of Double Battle, Dogamy was booting up a PC-looking device in the corner of the room as he set several Pokéballs onto a tray. Typing a few things onto the keyboard, the Pokéballs teleported away and were exchanged with two others. He returned back to where Frisk and Dogaressa were standing, with Dogaressa concluding her explanation.

"Only the challenger is allowed to use items, and the challenger can back out at any time. Understand?" she asked. Frisk, not really paying attention to what she said, nodded yes as an automatic response.

"Good! Let's head on outside, then!"

...

Wait, what?

* * *

-Frisk Profile-

Gym badges earned: 1

Pokémon captured: 3

[FILE 1 SAVED]

* * *

((A/N: Whoaaaa, almost had the gym battle this chapter! Whew, that could have been a problem! This is my first-ever 20K+ fic! Cheers! :D

I'd like to take this time to thank my readers, followers, and reviewers for sticking with me this far! It's a slow-burn in case you couldn't tell, but I really appreciate that y'all didn't get bored of me yet! That being said, there was also a bit of fanart for this fic! A thank you DragonMaster456 for drawing art, I reblogged it to the tumblr blog for my UT stories!

Feel free to take this as an invitation to submit things if you're comfortable, I would love to see them if you're confident to show me! ^w^

No code this time, I'm too lazy to think of one. Finals are over and I'd rather not think at all rn))


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